Planners oppose apartment rezoning

More than 75 residents from the Ladysmeade subdivision and nearby turned out Thursday night to oppose a rezoning application that would allow 20 apartments to be built adjacent to the subdivision.

After hearing from about a dozen speakers and discussion among its members, the Gloucester County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the application be denied.

The matter now will go before the Gloucester Board of Supervisors, which will schedule its own hearing on the matter.

Charles W. Davis Jr. applied to rezone approximately 5.4 acres from Suburban Countryside (SC-1) to medium-density Multi-Family (MF-1) located in the York Magisterial District at the northwest corner of the intersection of Short Lane (Route 615) and T.C. Walker Road (Route 629). Commission chairman Kenneth Richardson said Davis was not at the meeting because he was ill.

Davis said in his application to the county that he wants to construct 20 apartment units on the site that are to be located in five buildings containing four units each. The MF-1 zoning district allows up to eight units per acre when on public water and sewer.

But neighbors thought differently about the apartment project. The project would “create disruption in the area,” Jason Moulenbelt said. Also, he termed the application “spot housing” not in keeping with the current flavor of the single-family neighborhood.

Keith Harris said he has lived in Ladysmeade for more than 30 years and has found it “a great area to live.” Allowing apartments near the subdivision would “set a dangerous precedent” for other areas in the county where developers might seek similar rezoning, he said.

Phyllis Oliver said she has seen traffic increase over the years in that area, and said she is no longer able to ride her bike because of the many fast-moving cars and trucks. Also, for safety reasons, she moved her mailbox from one side of the road to the other to make it safer for her to retrieve mail away from the passing traffic.